


Hushed Tones & Campfires

by shesaidnomaam



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Toothache-inducing, Warden Amell (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28409379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shesaidnomaam/pseuds/shesaidnomaam
Summary: Originally requested at my Tumblr of the same name.The Warden is a capable woman. She could make the ground shake, and the skies rain fire, but some things remained challenging for the mage. What frustrated Solona, only endeared her further to her good friend, Leliana.
Relationships: Amell/Leliana (Dragon Age), Leliana/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Leliana/Warden (Dragon Age)
Kudos: 25





	Hushed Tones & Campfires

"You have to run your teeth along the seam _before_ you try to get the beans." Leliana's voice was light with a hint of a giggle. She hoped her amusement would not be read as mocking judgment. The former Sister was never one to openly make fun of those she loved so dearly. 

Solona frowned, her brows knitted together as she mulled over the instructions. There was a learning curve the mage hadn't expected, foraging for food. The tower had beans, but they didn't come in pods that you had to open and discard. They never came with a purse that the mages weren't supposed to eat. Having to undress a legume didn't seem daunting in theory, but Solona was at a loss as she looked down at the green pod. 

Her fingers felt for the seam that her eyes couldn't find. Once she was sure that she'd found the appropriate ridging, Solona brought the bean to her mouth again. Keeping her eyes fixed on Leliana for emotional support and validation, the Warden attempted to nibble the seam between her teeth.

Leliana put a hand over her mouth to contain the surprised laugh that escaped her throat. "No, no, my dear," she said, voice bubbling with affection.

Carefully, she reached out to guide Solona's hand. "You put your front teeth along the seam and you drag your teeth across like a knife." Leliana put the Warden's hand upward and under her mouth. "We can do it together, come." The redhead reached into the bowl and retrieved a bean for herself. She licked the salt from the outside of the casing. 

Solona watched the way the bard brought the bean to her teeth, the same teeth that showed every time she smiled. When she moved her head from side to side, the Warden wondered if it would be easier to move one's hands while their head remained stationary. She would have tested her theory if she weren't transfixed by a glimpse of Leliana's tongue. 

"You are not going to try?" the bard's genuine tone cut through the Warden's dreamy stupor. 

"Oh, yes," the Warden replied. Slowly, she mimicked the actions she'd watched so intently. Solona was surprised to achieve success so easily. Eyes wide, she pulled the open bean pod away from her mouth. "Now I fish them out?"

"Yes, but you use your mouth and your thumbs. You push on the bottom and then you take the insides with your lips. I thought you were watching, petal."

Solona shrugged, "I suppose I'm making this more complicated than it is." The mage sighed, ears warm from a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. She didn't need to feel self-conscious in Leliana's presence, and deep down she knew as much, but the Warden had been getting used to positive comments on her abilities. Failing at something that was probably _incredibly_ simple felt unbecoming of her station. "It must seem so trivial to you and here I sit, looking at them like they're dark spawn innards." 

One of the bard's hands moved forward and rested on the Warden's knee. Her thumb ran over the fabric of the mage's clothes. "Not at all. I've seen this before - in the cloister. Girls who'd always lived there were different than those who arrived later in life. The girls that grew up there had many skills that I did not, but sometimes they would have gaps in their knowledge that confused me. What was fundamental knowledge for me had never become a part of their lives." With her free hand, Leliana brushed her fingers underneath the Warden's chin. She nodded, silently telling the mage to continue her attempt to fish for beans. 

Leliana's voice was soft, comforting, and everything the Warden had come to expect. "Your experiences differ so what you know differs. I am sure that you know something that is so obvious to you, that is completely foreign to me." 

The bard had a kindness about her that the mage both admired and relied upon. It was a warmth that had been missing from the Warden's life for a very long time. The tower had been _home_ , but with every kindness came a cold hand. With every smile came the reminder that she was a prisoner, locked up for being born.

"Perhaps you're right," Solona spoke, her voice quiet and considerate. Then, just as Leliana began to worry, the Warden laughed. She neglected the food again, but for a reason other than her own confusion. "When I see what non-mages think about lyrium I am truly shocked you're all still alive." The mage shook her head in disbelief. "Can it turn you blue? What spells will I learn when I drink it? Does it taste like berries?"

"You see, what is simple to some is a mystery to others," Leliana nodded to the Warden again. "Eat, my petal."

Solona carefully began to eat the beans from the pod. The bard smiled, a proud smile that she hoped wasn't patronizing. The Warden was not doing something that took skill, nor was she doing something impressive, but Leliana was filled with pride nonetheless. Solona was incredibly impressive in her own right and she emitted raw energy that was like a coordinated storm. Leliana had seen the mage blast swirls of fire at crowds of darkspawn. Then, she'd watched the Warden do it _again_. It was nice to be reminded that at the end of it all, Solona was a person, for sometimes, it was easy for the redhead to forget. 

"Do you like them?" Leliana asked. Without a second thought, she took the empty casing from Solona's hands and immediately replaced it with a new bean. 

When she accepted the bean, fingers curling over the pod, the Warden caught a glimpse of an audience. Wynne and Ohgred were standing off to the side. The sight of the two talking wasn't rare, they frequently traded stories by the fire. But it was the curious and speculative expressions they wore that stuck out. Solona paused, halting her movements with a frown.

"Leliana," she spoke as if she'd been speaking to anyone else. 

"Yes, dear?"

"Have you ever noticed that the others seem to stare when we're alone together?"

"Perhaps they think we are up to no good," Leliana replied with a wink. She liked the idea; she liked imagining that she and the Warden were seen as partners in 'crime' though they did much more helping than harming.

Solona smiled, "You think so?" The mage began to eat more fluidly, choosing to remain focused on the food. Leliana watched her, eyes taking in every feature of the woman's face. Solona had soft skin, no doubt from a lifetime of staying inside. Leliana was soft, always choosing to wear something hooded in the sun, but in her eyes, Solona was like an ethereal being who descended from the heavens. Solona felt self-conscious about what she didn't know, but Leliana saw everything the mage did know and she was in awe. 

As the bard watched Solona enjoy the beans, Leliana spoke. "It could also be that they think we are more than friends."

The mage slowed some but remained dedicated to her snack. "Oh?" she asked, curious, but keeping any denials to herself. "Why do you think that?"

"Because I've heard them. When they think I cannot overhear them, they whisper. But little do they know, I hear whispers louder than screams."

"Well," Solona started, "did they say why they think that?"

Leliana's lips curled upwards, her dimples shined though she kept her voice coy. "Something about how close we are, how we talk, and laugh."

Everything the bard mentioned could easily be discarded and dismissed as a close friendship, but then she continued. "And they've seen the way you look at me, and the way I look at _you_."

Solona felt as though she'd accidentally casted a slowing spell on herself. She knew Leliana wasn't lying; she knew how _she_ felt about Leliana, but she hadn't allowed herself to speculate about how the bard felt. She hoped the redhead enjoyed their time together, but Leliana was kind to all. Solona never suspected that she was being looked at in a way that would arouse suspicion. 

The mage wanted to reply with something confident, articulate, and meaningful. She had the perfect opportunity to be honest and tell Leliana about the nights she slept, wondering how warm the bard would be against her body. She could be open and upfront about the _anger_ she felt when Leliana was backed into a corner, both figuratively and literally. Solona was never as fierce as she was when Leliana was in trouble. 

Maybe Leliana already knew. It certainly seemed like she had more knowledge for Solona. 

"Do you agree?" Solona said finally. She was still, holding Leliana's gaze with purpose. "Do you think we're more than friends?"

Leliana took a deep breath, a clever bard always chose her words carefully. "I think," she started, "I have had many friends in my life, and I have had my share of lovers too. In many ways, you are my closest friend, and the closest friend I have ever had. But when I look at you, I see more than a woman with whom I'd like to share my secrets. With you, I would share everything."

"Is that a, 'yes' then?"

"It is."

The Warden wished she could have responded with something effortless and charming. She wished that she could be honest and cry out, 'yes, yes I feel the same,' but all she did was nod.

Leliana didn't mind because she already _knew._ Words didn't always come as easily to others as they did to a bard. She could wait; the Warden's affections weren't going anywhere.

And neither was Leliana.

**Author's Note:**

> When I was playing DA:O earlier this month, Leliana’s dialogue is literally what made me start this account/my tumblr. I wanted to write for her, and I wanted to attempt to follow that beautiful way she speaks. I chose Solona Amell, but if I did this pairing again I might change her first name. Sound off with your thoughts.


End file.
